Getaway
by perilousgard
Summary: Asami takes Korra on vacation to Ember Island. [Korrasami.]


The smell of salt on warm air and the shift of sand underneath her feet was unfamiliar, but the sight of water – no, _ocean_ – was all too welcome. Korra couldn't help the smile that lit up her face as she looked out over the balcony of the little house, drinking in the endless stretch of glittering blue waves. It was almost like looking out from the top of the watchtower at the South Pole...minus all the snow and ice, of course.

"You know, that's the first time I've really seen you smile in a long time."

Korra glanced over at Asami, who had joined her on the balcony. She had been busy unpacking her many suitcases, which had taken up a good portion of the afternoon, while Korra (who traveled very light) had gotten herself acquainted with the Satos' vacation home on Ember Island. "Well, you haven't gotten to see me as much lately."

"That's true," Asami conceded with a small grin. "But I get updates, you know."

"Bolin?" Korra guessed.

"You know it. He's been worried about you, though."

The Avatar shrugged slightly. "He shouldn't. I'm fine. Just…focusing on work right now, you know?"

Asami nodded, knowing better than to bring up the reason for Korra's depression. Her breakup with Mako hadn't been a messy one, really, but it had been understandably hard. Korra had reacted by burying herself in her Avatar duties, which had done nothing but run her down. After finding herself with some time off, Asami had suggested the vacation. It had taken a little persuasion, but finally Korra had agreed, and now they were faced with two weeks completely to themselves.

Still watching the water, Korra's lips quirked up slightly. "So, that's a pretty excellent cliff you have out there."

Asami laughed. Her family's house was situated on one of the highest parts of the island, some fifty or sixty feet from the sea level. "Yeah, I guess it is! My dad kind of had a thing for higher ground. He grew up in the mountains." She bit her lip. Talking about her father had become a lot easier over time, but that didn't mean she wasn't still surprised when he tumbled into her conversations before she could even think about it.

Korra raised an eyebrow at her. "Looks like it would be fun to jump off of."

"What? Oh, no." Asami waved her hands, warding off the suggestion she could hear in her friend's voice. "It's too high up. And I think there are rocks at the bottom."

"So?" The water tribe girl smirked. "I'm a master waterbender, remember? It's not like it would be dangerous."

"Maybe not for you," Asami pointed out.

"We'll jump together, then. Come on, it'll be fun!"

Something about the infectious enthusiasm in Korra's voice had Asami in her swimsuit a few minutes later, standing with her toes anxiously curling against the rocks as she looked out over the water. The wind tossed her dark hair over her bare shoulders, drawing a shiver up her spine. It really was much higher than she remembered. She took a few steps back and bumped into Korra, who laughed a bit and steadied her with a light touch.

"Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt," she promised. The wind was pulling at her hair, too, which was loose and brushing her shoulders. It struck Asami, for some reason, that she had never seen Korra with her hair down and completely devoid of the two ties that normally separated it in the front. She was all wild dark hair and skin, dressed proudly in a dark blue suit that Asami had let her borrow, even though it was just a little big for her.

"I don't know if it's a good idea for us to both jump at the same time," Asami started, but Korra grabbed her hand and tugged her to the edge of the cliff before she could finish. The heiress felt her stomach flip unpleasantly as she stared down at the frothing waves below. They looked _really _far away. "Korra—"

"You trust me, don't you?" the Avatar asked.

"Of course," Asami replied without thinking.

"Then you'll be fine. Here, get on my back. It'll probably be easier that way."

"What? Get on your—"

"Back, yeah." Korra smiled and knelt a little, holding her hands behind her. "Come on, princess. I promise you're not too heavy for me."

Her lips twisting in amusement at the nickname, Asami cautiously stepped up behind her friend, wrapping her arms loosely around her neck. Korra quickly secured her arms under Asami's knees, drawing herself back into an upright position with very little effort. The wind blew Korra's hair back into her face, bringing a light, pleasant scent that tickled her nose. She reflexively tightened her arms around the Avatar's neck as she stepped up to the very edge of the cliff.

"Korra," Asami said, her breath brushing against Korra's ear. The waterbender ignored the way it made goosebumps rise on her arms and adjusted her grip under Asami's knees.

"Just count to three and hold your breath! One, two…"

But Korra jumped on _three, _and suddenly there was nothing but the sound of air whistling in her ears, the tickle of Korra's hair on her face, the Avatar's gleeful laughter, and Asami's own nervous screaming. Just before they hit the sharp rocks, Korra bent a large wave up that swallowed them whole. Though she continued to cling for dear life, Asami somehow lost her grip on her friend in the dark water, and opened her eyes to see Korra moving gracefully towards the surface. Before she could reach it, however, the water tribe girl suddenly looked back at Asami and smiled, producing a slew of bubbles. Then she reached out a hand, which Asami swam up and took. Together, their heads broke the surface.

"Woohoo!" said Korra, flipping her hair back. "That was fun, wasn't it? I haven't done anything like that since I was a kid in the South Pole."

Asami's eyes widened. "But the water had to be _freezing _there. You actually swam in it?"

"Well, only in the summer. It was still pretty cold, though." She shrugged. "Anyway, you _did _have fun, right?"

Her companion couldn't help grinning. "It was fun, but I don't think I could do that by myself. I thought for sure we were going to hit those rocks!"

"Hey, that's what you have me for!" Korra said, floating on her back. "That way, you don't have to jump alone."

Asami nodded, and then swam over to take her hand again. "Want to go for round two? I was probably screaming a little too loudly to enjoy it as much as I could have."

"Sure!" Korra replied with a laugh. "Last one to the beach is a hog-monkey!"

She had never dreamed that she would be this carefree and easy around Asami Sato. The girl had once been the source of all her heartache. But now, she was just as easy to talk to as Bolin, if not easier because she was a girl. There was something about having a real female friend that Korra really liked, despite how bad she thought she was at being feminine. Asami was softness and laughter and gentle hands, and she brought out a playful nature in Korra that Tenzin had once compared to his father. But it was something else, too…something in the way Asami smiled at her that made her feel warm and safe.

As they crested the top of the cliff, and the heiress once more secured her arms around Korra's neck, her lips brushed against the Avatar's dark cheek, and it felt like a kiss. But Korra didn't allow herself to dwell on the blush it had produced and the way it had sent bright warmth through her blood until much later, as she stared at the ceiling of her room in the Satos' vacation home.

_It wasn't a real kiss, but I think I wanted it to be._

On the opposite side of the house, Asami lay on her side, watching shadows chase themselves across the walls of her room.

_I want to kiss her again. _

She had been told that the island had been a part of the Fire Nation once, and that it was still rooted in those old traditions. The house had a library that was full of Fire Nation history, but Korra's interest had been caught more by the old family photo albums that had been left out. While Asami had organized all of her clothes, the Avatar had flipped through monochromatic images of what her best friend's family had been like before it was torn apart.


End file.
